Working with familiar new face Sofia on some simple clean shots for her book. I like to work with different methods, sometimes complex setups with lights, crew and tons of hoopla and sometimes just myself, a camera, the sun and the subject. Although I go against the grain and remain an avid proponent for high-tech gear, I still also support the fact that one can get great shots with no extra equipment. Enter the simple side of photography. I've taken the opportunity to just go out with the camera and work with what there is. Sometimes in conditions that aren't the best for photography (sun angle, wind, blowing sand, cold temps, etc) . Rather than just shoot slot-machine style and hope for the best (otherwise known as "spray and pray" where one just randomly shoots a ton of frames and comes up with a few lucky winners), I set a short time frame and try to find a groove that works where I only need to shoot a few frames to get the shot. Models are always surprised when I only shoot for a minute then say, " Cool, we got it. Lets move on".

It's always a good experience shooting with Sofia, because she listens to direction and gets it quick. In this instance, we only had a very short time frame to get something, and we ended up with a bunch of different looks. Keep an eye out for this one, she's getting better and better! So here's some examples of simple techniques with just sunlight to work with. My thanks to Sofia, supportive mom Ophelia and Shastity Moreno for the great makeup work with the black dress.